The present invention relates generally to pressure responsive compressor valve assemblies and more particularly to such assemblies employing disc type valve members particularly adapted for use on refrigeration compressors.
The present invention is particularly well suited for use in combination with the disc-like lightweight valves of the type disclosed in assignee's copending application Ser. No. 971,309, filed Dec. 20, 1978 abandoned in favor of Ser. No. 219,849, filed Dec. 23, 1980 and assignee's copending application Ser. No. 318,155, entitled "Discharge Valve Assemblies For Refrigeration Compressors" filed of even date herewith and valve spring and guide arrangements disclosed in assignee's copending application Ser. No. 243,343, filed Feb. 13, 1981; application Ser. No. 234,169, filed Feb. 13, 1981; and assignee's copending application Ser. No. 318,055, entitled "Discharge Valve Assembly For Refrigeration Compressors" filed of even date herewith and represents an alternative to the valve plate assemblies of assignee's copending application Ser. No. 114,345, filed Jan. 22, 1980 and Ser. No. 114,346, filed Jan. 22, 1980. It may be used in both rotary and other types of compressors including single and multi-cylinder reciprocating piston type compressors of either hermetic or accessible hermetic type.
Valve plates and cylinder head assemblies can become relatively complex in configuration for certain valve arrangements and as a result may be quite costly to manufacture and sometimes to assemble.
The present invention provides an improved valve assembly which includes three separately fabricated valve plates which are designed to be assembled and furnace or oven brazed to provide a unitized valve plate assembly including openings defining both suction and discharge passages and suction and discharge valve seats. The three plates may be very easily and economically fabricated from sheet or plate material by stamping thereby substantially reducing the amount of high cost machining required and hence significantly reducing the cost of fabricating such valve plate assemblies. Additionally, because the three plates are separately fabricated, greater flexibility is afforded in designing the gas flow passages provided therein so as to facilitate optimization of the flow of both suction and discharge gas into and out of the compression chamber thereby facilitating the attainment of improved operating efficiencies. Also, because the three plates are furnace brazed to form a unitized assembly the need for additional gaskets between separate plate members is eliminated which reduces the possibility of leakage and final assembly of the compressor is facilitated as the valve plate is in the form of a unitized assembly.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.